SEO Search Engine Meetup #3

Thanks for the head's up, Russell. Don't worry, we might move to once-a-month instead of bi-weekly, but we're not going anywhere, so you'll have future chances to come.

Carl

Glad you had a good time Tannie. I thought it very productive as well. Let's hope we can continue to build on these events.

I had a chance to ask Rand & Ben a few of my burning questions last night. Naturally I only paid attention to the answers to my questions not everyone else's. :-) Rand & Ben were very helpful. Unless the beer affected my memory, they say that:

• edu and gov links are definitely worth more than com/org links. I forgot to ask about com vs org

• UBL sucks. There is no substitute for hand-submission to IYPs

• Free press release sites = worthless for SEO.

• PRweb & PRnewswire are very good. No DIRECT SEO benefit, but if story picked up by news organization = huge benefit. So news-worthy content = not just important but actually essential.

• Rankcheck Google Places using AWR or Search Metrics

• No evidence that Google reads gmail for words like "linkbuilding"

• Best method for convincing clients to create content = draw them the Long-Tail Graph

Also,

• Apparently image ALT tags are more important than I thought

• SEOmoz is rolling out their Dashboard today (Aug 11)

• Hubspot has great products, tho rumored to be pricey. Moz refers consulting clients to Distilled.

• Rand shows admirable honesty by praising Raven SEO tools.

• David Mimh is best resource for local SEO. Can give advice re: RCing LLs & registering w IYPs

Check out:

• Seomoz.org/dp/free-charts

• Eztvspots.com

• Adobecatalyst/Business Catalyst

My original notes of questions to ask/topics to suggest:

• Just registering clients on the IYPs is no guarantee they will show up in Google Maps' 7 pack.

• UBL doesn't seem to work (or it's super-slow). Haven't found any easy way for IYP registry yet - currently paying Indians to do it.

• Paid Press releases are basically useless, tho only have 2 data points.

• Paying outsourcers to do free press releases sometimes actually hurts ranks

• There is no easy way to rankcheck Google Places listings, tho I am testing a way to track traffic from it using GA

• Also no easy way to track Google Local Listing clicks to client's website, rather than manually checking. GLL also does not have multiple user accounts, which sucks for SEOs.

• One of hardest parts of job is convincing clients to create content. They never want to take the time. Without content, it's very hard to rank.

• There is no good reporting program out there cheaper & better than paying outsourcers. I have my guy take a pdf from GA & ranks in Excel every 2 wks for each client.

• All the SEO outsourcers I work with need lots of training. They know crappy methods of building many spammy links but not real linkbuilding, and definitely not anything about Google Local. That said, once you start using them & get a good team, you'll never go back. I use my workers for everything from research projects to graphics design to webdev to form creation to scheduling details of my personal life, etc.

Thanks

Carl